Big and Blue
by ceeebee
Summary: Merthur, AU, in which Arthur turns up at Merlin's flat in a rather huge blue coat. Fluffy stuffs.


**A/N: Just some Merthur fluff, inspired by some pictures I found of Bradley James wearing a rather huge blue coat. I hope you enjoy... please leave a review, if it takes your fancy :)**

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><p><strong>Big and Blue<strong>

"Don't laugh," were the first words that came out of Arthur's mouth, and Merlin only just managed to keep the smile from curling round his lips. There was a silence, where they both stared at each other, each wondering when exactly Merlin would crack.

"You can't even fit through the door!" He burst out eventually, a grin escaping and his eyes crinkling up. Arthur rolled his eyes, but didn't deny that his rather huge and puffy blue coat was hindering him slightly.

"I'm ill," he grouched, before shuffling forwards, squeezing through the door of Merlin's flat.

"You, my friend, are _adorable_," Merlin corrected, beaming.

"Not your friend," Arthur muttered, and Merlin laughed outright.

"But you _are _adorable." Arthur glared, and Merlin carried on laughing. The noise stopped abruptly when Arthur tried to shrug out of his coat.

"Hey, stop," Merlin cried, springing forwards.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

And so it was, an hour or so later, the pair of them sat on Merlin's sofa, Merlin somehow having managed to wriggle inside the huge garment, their bodies pressed together, while Arthur sniffled contentedly.

"I think that you should always wear this coat, when you're ill, and then come straight round to mine," Merlin informed him. Arthur nodded in agreement, privately thinking that waiting till he was ill again wouldn't be necessary.

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><p><strong>When or Where<strong>

Arthur couldn't remember exactly when or where he'd bought the coat. All he knew was that he'd done it thinking of Merlin, and other, less important things, tended to float out of Arthur's head when Merlin was occupying space therein.

He thought about how Merlin would look, all bundled up in such an enormous coat, all cosy and warm, and Arthur would be able to tease him, saying "so, who looks fat now, _Mer_lin?"

How Merlin would then complain, his expression all grumpy, but Arthur would know he was secretly loving the attention.

How the colour of the material would bring out the blue in Merlin's eyes, and the hood would ruff up his hair when he took it down later. How hot Merlin's body would be, when he finally took the thing off…

No. Arthur couldn't exactly remember when or where he'd bought the coat.

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><p><strong>The Sixth Time<strong>

It was the sixth time in three weeks that Arthur had rung the buzzer to Merlin's flat, and heard the click that meant the door had been unlocked for him. The sixth time that he stumbled up the stairs, the comforting rustle of waterproof material brushing against the banisters soft in his ears.

Merlin was waiting for him, his arms folded, at the top of the stairs.

"You really have a terrible immune system, you know that?" he said, as Arthur struggled nearer. Arthur shrugged, causing his hood to slide a little. Instantly, Merlin was there, pulling it back up to nestle around Arthur's face.

"I originally bought this coat for you," Arthur informed him.

"In this weather?" Merlin cocked an eyebrow, and Arthur frowned, acknowledging that it was August, and no one in their right mind would buy something like _that_, in this heat.

"I thought it would suit you," Arthur admitted. Merlin smirked,

"That was until you tried it on, eh?" he leaned forward, till the top of his head brushed against the underside of the hood, and their faces were millimeters apart.

"Yeah, well. Everything looks better on me, doesn't it?" Arthur breathed, and Merlin huffed a laugh.

"Prat." And then pulled away, stalking into the house. Arthur followed, his expression disappointed. He hoped he hadn't ruined anything.

After a few minutes of Arthur waiting in the hallway, Merlin was dancing back towards him, a soft red scarf nuzzling at his throat.

"Some things look better on me, mate." He grinned into their kiss.

Arthur decided not to tell them that now they looked equally ridiculous.

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><p><strong>No Need<strong>

The coat (and the scarf) were things that Merlin and Arthur tended to keep to themselves. They didn't spread it around that they were most in love when wearing winter clothing (even if it was the middle of summer) or happiest when not quite able to sit side by side because something huge Arthur was wearing got in the way.

It was just another one of those weird little quirks that came with a relationship involving two people, who were entirely opposite, and yet entirely perfect for one another. They felt no need to talk to others about how Merlin had abandoned his duvet, and instead fitted himself against Arthur's chest before fumbling around to zip the coat up, with both of them snug inside. No need for them to mention how Merlin could always tell when Arthur was getting a little _too _hot, and would smugly pull his soft red scarf from his neck, and dab at the other man's forehead, before sliding the material back around his own throat.

"I'm _boiling _Merlin," Arthur mumbled, one night, but at the same time he clasped Merlin tighter to him.

"You shouldn't've bought the damn coat then, should you?" Merlin yawned, and Arthur groaned as the heat of his breath hit his already perspiring neck.

"What are you? Some kind of dragon?" Arthur growled into Merlin's dark hair.

"Yeah," Merlin agreed, sleepily, tucking his head up under Arthur's chin.

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><p><strong>Cool Down<strong>

Merlin knew he had about fifteen minutes before Arthur rang the buzzer, and about twenty minutes before he would be rushing out into a whole lot of puffy blueness, come to swallow him up in warmth.

Winter was approaching now, October beginning to steal upon them, and it was extremely odd, Merlin thought, how both he and Arthur were beginning to see the redundancy of thick coats and scarves, just when everyone else was rushing out to buy them.

They had had round about two months of pure, blissful heat, and now it was probably time they should cool down. Yes. Merlin would explain this to Arthur; they should have dropped the whole coat/scarf thing _weeks _ago. There should never have _been _a coat/scarf thing!

_Brrrrriiiiiinnnnnnggg _the buzzer sounded, and Merlin gave a start.

A few seconds later, and Arthur was there, immersed in waterproof blue, and looking as adorable and irresistible as when he had first worn it, all that time ago.

"Hey…" Arthur sounded uncertain, as though he could sense Merlin's earlier reluctance. Merlin tugged at his scarf, thoughtfully.

"Hi," he stepped forwards.

Curled up on the sofa, later on that evening, Merlin realised he didn't care whether it was time to 'cool down' or not. It was this coat, that he was now surrounded by, that had pushed Merlin and Arthur's relationship from 'close friends' to 'inseparable'. It was this scarf, that was now tangled between both his and Arthur's fingers, that had moved them from 'inseparable' to 'completely and utterly in love'.

Merlin smiled and wrapped his long arms around Arthur's waist, coat and all. Who would want to 'cool down' after that?


End file.
